The Beaux' Stratagem (New Mermaids)

This ribbald comedy was written three hundred years ago and it remains fresh and funny. It is populated by such characters as the gentlemen of broken fortunes, Aimwell and Archer, a country blockhead, Sullen, who despises his perfectly delightful wife, highwaymen named Gibbet and Bagshot, a servant named Scrub, a country gentlewoman named Lady Bountiful, and an inkeeper's beautiful daughter, Cherry. You start smiling while still reading the Cast of Characters. The language is a delight, as when Mrs. Sullen cautions her husband's servant, while he's shaving her husband's head, "Have a care of coming near his temples, Scrub, for fear you meet something there that may turn the edge of your razor...inveterate stupidity." Lady Sullen ups the stakes when she determines that "one way to rouse my lethargic, sottish husband is to give him a rival. Security begets negligence in all people, and men must be alarmed to make 'em alert in their duty." When Squire Sullen catches wind of the plot, his response is embarrassment: "Don't think my anger proceeds from any concern I have of your honor, but for my own, and if you can contrive any way of being a whore without making me a cuckhold, do it and welcome." To which his wife responds, "Sir, I thank you kindly; you would allow me the sin but rob me of the pleasure."This is a forward-thinking play for women's rights, too. Mrs. Sullen puts the woman's situation in perspective: "Were I born an humble Turk, where women have no soul nor property, there I must sit contented. But in England, a country whose women are its glory, must women be abused? Where women rule [a reference to the queen], must women be enslaved?" The plot considerably thickens when the broken gentleman who volunteers to rob Mrs. Sullen falls in love with her.In the end we learn from the one upstanding character, Sir Charles, that "Truth, sir, is a profound sea, and few there be that dare wade deep enough to find out the bottom on't."Hats off to Michael Kahn, Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Theater, in Washington, DC, for dusting off this play for our generation.

I forget what this is? Kindle? I will look into it. Thanks, Phil

Many people reference George Farquhar's THE BEAUX STRATAGEM without ever realizing it: the play introduced a character named Lady Bountiful, a wealthy woman determined to do good to her neighbors whether they like it or not. The name and the character were instantly iconographic and have remained so for over three hundred years.George Farquhar (c. 1677-1707) studied theology--but when it put a crimp in his style he left the classroom for the stage. Accounts of his acting skills vary, but he was good enough to injure a fellow player during a duel scene and thereafter decided he was better off writing plays than acting in them. THE BEAUX STRATAGEM was both his final and best-recalled play, a slightly bawdy mixture of Restoration ideas and well-worn but entertaining notions.The story is both contrived and clever. Aimwell and Archer are con men, posting as master and servant as they drift from town to town in seach of wealthy and foolish women to seduce and rob. But they meet their match in more ways than one when they arrive in Lichfield, where Aimwell is genuinely smitten by Dorinda and Archer takes up with unhappily married Mrs. Sullen--while Dorinda's mother, the legendary Lady Bountiful, does her level best to inflict good deeds upon everyone in sight.THE BEAUX STRATAGEM is not generally considered on a par with such works as Congreve's THE WAY OF THE WORLD or Sheridan's THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL; the language is simpler, the plot more obvious, the humor less refined. But for those very reasons it is actually somewhat more accessible to the casual reader than these more celebrated titles. Not first rank? Perhaps not, but no less enjoyable for it. Recommended.GFT, Amazon Reviewer

well the beaux stratagem apart from being difficult to spell is difficult to sift through, although when you manage to get past the confusion of the rapid scene changes, it is indeed a very rewarding drama. The names are an interesting starting point, they all have meaning and are essential to buildiong of character, such as 'archer' and 'aimwell' which are hunting for women and fortune. Brimmed full of shady characters and excititng senarios, this restoration drama is brilliant at mocking society and marriage, or loveless marriage.aimwell says in act 2 scene 2 'pshaw! no women can be a beauty without a fortune. Let me alone for i am a marksman.' and this loveless marriage is also personified in mrs Sullens unhappy marriage. theses are just a few specifics which is why i love the beaux stratagem. It may not be as blatantly witty or clever as any work belonging to oscar wilde, but it carries a certain charm and excitement which wildes plays do not. i would recomend this to experienced literature lovers, it takes a certain amount of close study of the text to really enjoy, but beginners this might be slightly heavy.

This might be the finest of all the restoration comedies I've read. Some very witty dialog. Much better than the "Recruiting Officer," in my opinion.

Easily one of the best to come out of the Restoration period. It ist funny, though not as full of comical devices as The Man of Mode or the Country Wife, but what I like especialy about it is the unusual way the play deals with the problem of marital disharmony. Farquhar treats his characters with a certain sympathy and thereby surpresses the malicious and insipid tone that is so typical for earlier Restoration plays. If you like reading plays written and performed in the 17th century, buy this one if you haven't allready.

This version turned out to be very small with a very small type-set. However, I was more disappointed about the fact that the binding gave out about halfway through and most of the pages were loose by the time I had finished reading it ONCE. It is now bound by a rubber band.

Brilliant

Brilliantly directed and performed, cunningly captured on film.

No notes but a very good introduction and wonderfully compact size.

A good read, some amusing turns tjough predictable, still entertaining .